Moments after arriving at Abu Dhabi airport to board a flight to Doha, it was clear the Qatar World Cup was going to be a tournament like no other.
With the airport terminal a melting pot of South American, Japanese, Australian, Mexican and British fans ― many basing themselves in the UAE and flying in for games ― strict formalities and restrictions usually associated with Middle Eastern airports were brushed aside.
Camera phones captured the moment as national anthems rang out and supporters in all the colours of the rainbow climbed the stairway and on to flight EY398 to Doha.
For a World Cup, anything goes, well almost.
The changing face of football
It was a taste of what was to come over the next five days in what would be my fourth World Cup, and first outside Europe.
Much has changed since France 98, when I drove from England to Lens with friends to watch the hosts play Paraguay in the first knock-out match to feature the now forgotten Golden Goal format.
We picked up tickets at face value outside the ground an hour before kick-off and, unbelievably, a friendly Frenchman offered more tickets for England’s upcoming match with Argentina in Marseille just days later for a paltry €40 ($42).
As a comparison, tickets for England v Senegal at the Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday night are commanding €5,000 on the resale market.
Admission prices have steadily increased ever since that dazzling World Cup in France.
Fans pay steep prices
In Germany 2006, touts refused to budge on a €300 fee for Australia against Italy in Kaiserslautern, even 10 minutes after kick-off.
And for the 2018 tournament in Russia, I managed to pick up the cheapest official Fifa tickets to watch Morocco take on Iran in St Petersburg for about €120.
It was one of the tournament’s earlier games and after a rowdy six-hour flight from Dubai packed with partying Iranians, landing in Russia was surreal.
The hosts had thumped Saudi Arabia 5-0 in their opening match the night before, with the celebration still in full swing at 7am.
Landing in Doha on November 20, 2022 on the tournament’s opening day was a different world.
There were plenty of fans mingling at airport arrivals, but they soon dispersed into waiting taxis and buses.
Elsewhere, the city was bracing itself in anticipation of what was to come.
Qatar’s hosting of such a huge event has been a journey into the unknown for this tiny desert peninsula.
Never before had the country received such an influx of visitors, with an expected 1.2 million expected through the doors. Most had saved up for years to be part of Qatar’s festival of football.
With no previous form managing an event of this size, few expected this tournament to be delivered without a hitch.
Admittedly, some hotels were yet to be finished and shortly after arriving at our accommodation, builders were packing away tools as we checked in. It all seemed a bit rushed.
But bar the odd ticket glitch and accommodation headache for a minority, it has been a smooth journey for most - unlike on the pitch where giants of the game Argentina, Germany, France, Spain and Belgium have all been toppled by supposedly lesser opposition.
Doha delivers memorable event
Whisper it, but many are viewing this World Cup as a success, so far.
Champions bar in the Marriott Hotel in West Bay was a hotbed of post-match analysis for supporters.
When Japanese fans arrived shortly after swiping aside Germany in their group match, the handful of supporters were treated like heroes, as if they had just come off the pitch themselves.
At previous tournaments thousands of fans based themselves in cities where their team would play to soak up pre-match atmosphere.
To have all 64 matches unfold in a single city created a different dynamic altogether in Doha.
Qatar’s much vaunted Metro system that linked all eight stadiums became an artery for fans, delivering the lifeblood of this World Cup.
Arab world united by sport
That was never more apparent than during Saudi Arabia's game with Argentina. As supporters of all nations criss-crossed Doha on the Metro, news filtered through of a major breaking upset.
As Mexican and Tunisian fans headed for fan zones to watch their teams, they visibly grew in stature as they dreamed of similar giant-killing opportunities in the days ahead.
Although Morocco were the only Arab nation to escape their group, the way regional nations came together to celebrate each others success on the streets of Souq Waqif will live long in the memory.
Huge crowds waving flags from all nations marched through the souq, with the sound of horns, drums and singing filling the air.
With alcohol in short supply and a largely Muslim fan base for the celebrating teams, there was little chance of the party spilling over into the violence often seen at other World Cups.
Dubai World Cup Carnival Card:
6.30pm: Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.40pm: Zabeel Turf Listed $175,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Cape Verdi Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,600m
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm
Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh209,000
On sale: now
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Leaderboard
64 - Gavin Green (MAL), Graeme McDowell (NIR)
65 - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Adri Arnaus (ESP), Victor Perez (FRA), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)
66 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Lewis (ENG), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Ross Fisher (ENG), Aaron Rai (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)
67 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (ESP), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Joost Luiten (NED), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
68 - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Adrian Meronk (POL), David Howell (ENG), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Sean Crocker (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Arrab, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m; Winner: AF Mahaleel, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel.
3.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum handicap (TB) Dh200,000 2,000m; Winner: Dolmen, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m; Winner: Amang Alawda, Sandro Paiva, Bakhit Al Ketbi.
4.15pm: The Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m; Winner: AF Alwajel, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
4.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m; Winner: Al Jazi, Jesus Rosales, Eric Lemartinel.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
